The reigning and three-time Classic Physique Olympia champ Chris Bumstead is currently in a bulking phase and is eating around 5,000 calories per day. Per the 26-year-old bodybuilder, he lost around eight to 10 pounds after contracting COVID-19 during the holiday season in December 2021 and is a bit behind this off-season than where he was a year prior.
Bumstead’s three Classic Physique Olympia victories are the most of any athlete in the division’s history, making him one of the most decorated bodybuilders of all time. However, he is not resting on his laurels and is going full-steam ahead for his fourth consecutive Olympia win. On Apr. 8, 2022, “CBum” took to his YouTube channel to share his off-season shoulder workout. Check it out in the video below:
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Classic Shoulder Training
Bumstead spends the first eight minutes of the video talking about his supplement brand, RAW, before hitting the gym for a shoulder workout.
Trying to get huge now. I just took a bunch of stuff to get pumped. I took [RAW supplements] PUMP and PUMP2. I took a bunch of salt, beetroot, and some Thavage Pre-Workout.
Bumstead starts his shoulder workout with the seated dumbbell shoulder press. He uses 100-pound dumbbells for what appears to be his first set. The 6’3″ bodybuilder didn’t share his shoulder warm-up routine.
Bumstead uses the 1.5 rep technique while performing the second set. To perform the 1.5 dumbbell press, he lifts the dumbbells halfway through the range of motion, then returns to the starting position at the bottom before completing the rep by extending his arms straight overhead to the lockout. Bumstead upgrades to 120-pound dumbbells for his final set of the shoulder press.
“Lots of reps, lots of warm-ups,” says the three-time Classic Physique Olympia champ after completing a warm-up set on his second shoulder exercise — the machine shoulder press. He uses three 45-pound weight plates on each side for the warm-up. Bumstead stars his working set by stacking four 45-pound weight plates and a quarter on each side of the machine.
Bumstead performs dumbbell side lateral raises for his third exercise of the day.
I haven’t worn a tank top in the gym or on video since I was shredded…gladly, I’m not that fat right now. [I] got a decent little pump considering the amount of PUMP product and salt I put in my body today.
He seems visibly nervous as he takes off his sweatshirt after completing his first set of the exercise. He then moves onto the reverse pec deck flye to train his posterior deltoids. Bumstead wraps up his shoulder workout with the standing machine side lateral raise.
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Bumstead’s Full Shoulder Workout
Here is a summary of the three-time Classic Physique Olympia champ’s shoulder training routine:
- Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Machine Shoulder Press
- Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
- Reverse Pec Deck Fly
- Standing Machine Side Lateral Raise
Bumstead did not disclose the exact number of sets and reps performed in the workout for each exercise.
Road to 2022 Olympia
Bumstead has been in off-season mode since winning his third-consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title in Dec. 2021 and is not expected to compete until the 2022 Olympia weekend scheduled for Dec. 16-18 in Las Vegas, NV.
Per the three-time Classic Physique Olympia champ, he is using the long off-season to make big improvements to his physique. Bodybuilding fans can expect a tough battle for the 2022 Classic Physique Olympia throne as Bumstead will attempt to defend it against two-time Olympia runner-up and two-time Arnold Classic champ Terrence Ruffin, 2022 Boston Pro and Kuwait Classic Pro winner Urs Kalecinski, Ramon Rocha Queiroz, and Breon Ansley (Ansley’s last contest in Classic Physique).
Featured image: @cbum on Instagram